Light in the Darkness
by Nicole Elisabeth Harding
Summary: Emma Swan has been stuck in an abusive relationship for years and she can't seem to get out of it. One night she decides to remove herself and her son, Henry, out of the situation and meets the owner of a B&B where they take refuge for the night. From the moment she meets Killian Jones, she finally has someone looking out for her. But it isn't quite a happy ending yet.
1. Chapter 1

My hands were shaking as I hurriedly buckled Henry into his car seat. I kept glancing over my shoulder back at the house. Blood dripped off of my forehead onto Henry's shirt and I jerked away, frantically wiping at the wound with my sleeve.

"Mommy, I'm tired. It's bed time. Where are we going?" he yawned.

"We're just going on a little trip, sweetie," I whispered. "You can sleep in the car."

"Is Daddy coming?"

"Not this time."

I shut the door and ran around to the driver's seat. My heart was still pounding even after I'd started the car and made it down the street. I didn't know where I was going, just that I had to get out of there. Tears stung at my eyes as I drove and drove until I was too tired to keep going. And that's when I saw the sign for a bed and breakfast. Without thinking, I just turned up the driveway and parked in front of the house. Henry was still awake but fading fast. I unstrapped him from his car seat and carried him in with me.

It was late at night so I was relieved to see that someone was at the desk in the entryway.

"I realize it's late and kind of last minute notice, but I really need a room," I stammered breathlessly.

"Of course," the man said.

He opened a book on the desk and passed me a pen. I shifted Henry to my other arm and shakily signed my name. It occurred to me belatedly that I should've signed a fake name in case Neal came looking for us.

"You're bleeding, are you all right?" the man asked with a frown.

I flinched and nodded, snatching the key from his outstretched hand and making a break for the stairs.

"Wait, let me show you to your room!"

"I'm fine!" I snapped.

I clutched Henry tighter as I ran up the stairs and headed for the door marked "5". I used the key on the door, ducked inside, and shut the door tightly behind me. I laid Henry on the queen-sized bed and stepped back, taking a deep breath. There was a soft knock on the door and I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Who is it?" I asked, pressing my ear to the door.

"My name is Killian Jones. The man from the front desk."

I opened the door a crack and looked at him.

"What?"

"That cut on your head looks pretty serious, so I brought you a first aid kit."

"I don't need any help," I said firmly.

"Please, I used to be a nurse. I can stitch you up."

I looked at him with wide eyes trying to think through my options. He was probably right about my head. Head wounds could be serious, especially because it was still bleeding. I opened the door another inch.

"All right, but try to be quiet. My son is sleeping," I said, nodding towards the bed.

I opened the door wide enough for him to step through and then stood there looking at him warily.

"Why don't you sit down?" he said, gesturing to a chair.

I perched on the edge of the seat and clenched my hands anxiously.

"Relax," Killian said. "I'm not going to murder you."

"Give me one reason why I should trust you," I said.

"Well I am helping you patch up your head," he shrugged. "Are you going to tell me what happened to you?"

"I… fell."

He looked at me skeptically. Then he opened up the box and got to work. It took him maybe fifteen minutes to stitch it up and pack up all his supplies again.

"Well have a good night's rest," he said, moving towards the door. "I guess I might see you tomorrow."

I didn't respond, instead shutting the door behind him. I laid down next to Henry on the bed and fell asleep shortly with him curled up in my arms.

"Mommy, Mommy!" Henry woke me up by bouncing on the bed. "Daddy's here!"

I bolted upright and gazed in horror at the open door.

"I let him in!" Henry declared joyfully. "Now our whole family can go on vacation."

"That's right, Henry," Neal said with a smirk. "Except we can't go on a vacation quite yet. We're going home."

I was frozen with fear as Neal crossed the room and loomed over me. He grabbed my arm roughly and jerked me off the bed.

"Come on, Emma," he said. "You've had enough freedom for a lifetime."

I tripped a little as he jerked me out of the room. Henry came running after. I paused briefly to scoop him up before Neal pulled me along again. Killian was lounging at the front desk reading the newspaper when we descended the stairs.

"Have a great day!" Neal said with forced cheerfulness as he dragged me out the front door.

I cast a helpless look over my shoulder and tried not to panic too much as I was pushed roughly into the car and Henry was snatched from my arms. Neal settled him in the backseat and then we were on our way, roaring down the street. All I could do was gaze out the window and try to tune out Neal's scolding.

Henry was still tired from his late night before so as soon as we got home, he crawled into bed and fell fast asleep. I was grateful that he wasn't conscious for what followed. It wasn't anything that a kid should have to witness. Our living room was in shambles and Neal's voice was hoarse from yelling by the time he was finished. I lay stunned on the floor as he stumbled upstairs for his mid-morning nap. Blood was seeping from several cuts and staining the carpet, but I couldn't find the strength to move.


	2. Chapter 2

One of the neighbors must have overheard the ruckus from our house because the police showed up at our door having received a report of domestic violence. I dragged myself off the floor while Neal answered the door and assumed his usual charming mask.

"Is everything all right, sir?" one of the officers asked. "We had a report about some shouting and loud bangs."

"Everything's fine, officer," Neal smiled. "My girlfriend just tripped and fell into a bunch of chairs."

"Do you mind if we come in and see for ourselves?"

"Actually, now is not a good time. My son is down for his nap and he shouldn't be woken up," Neal lied.

"I'm right here, Daddy," Henry said brightly, coming to the top of the stairs. "Don't worry about me."

Neal cursed under his breath and then forced a smile as he opened the door wider. I attempted to look as normal as possible as the two police officers entered the house and looked around.

"This looks like more than a couple of chairs," one of the officers commented.

"My girlfriend is very clumsy," Neal said smoothly.

"That's not true, Daddy," Henry chirped.

I tried to silence him as he trotted into the room. Neal was shooting death glares at him.

"Mommy only falls when you push her and hit her."

"Shh, baby," I said, trying to cover his mouth.

"He's five," Neal explained. "He has quite the active imagination."

"Well his explanation makes a lot more sense than yours," the officer said. "Sir, I'm going to need you to come to the station with us."

"This is all a misunderstanding," Neal complained. "I would never hurt Emma."

"Ma'am, has your boyfriend been abusive?"

I jumped as the officer addressed me. I glanced at Neal to see him frowning and shaking his head.

"Umm, no, he… hasn't," I stammered.

"Well if you haven't done anything wrong, sir, then you shouldn't mind clearing all of this up at the station," the officer said.

It was clear that he hadn't believed me. Neal would punish me for that later. I watched, shaking, as Neal was escorted out to the squad car and shoved into the backseat. Henry clung to my leg as we watched from the front porch. As soon as they were out of sight, I started throwing clothes in a suitcase for myself and Henry.

The doorbell rang, scaring me to death. I peeked out of the window before answering the door.

"I –" Killian started to say. "Are you all right?"

"Why does everyone always ask that?" I said. "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

"You left your purse in the room when you left in such a hurry," Killian said, holding it out. "I looked at your driver's license and found your address."

"You should've just called," I said, glancing down the street to make sure Neal wasn't coming back. "But thank you."

I took the purse from him and moved to shut the door but Henry ran out and gazed up at Killian with awe.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Killian," the man said, crouching down to Henry's level and offering his hand. "Who are you, young sir?"

"I'm Henry," he said proudly.

"Baby, go back inside and wait for me in your room," I said, ushering him back inside.

"I'm sorry if it's not my place, but you seemed to be kind of in a hurry this morning when you left," Killian said. "Would that have anything to do with your boyfriend who showed up?"

"It was time for Henry and me to come home," I replied firmly. "Neal was just making sure we got home safely."

"That's not what it looked like to me," Killian replied just as firmly. "My brother abused his wife for years until they started going to counseling. I know what it looks like, even when they're in public and trying to hide their compulsive anger."

"I'm sorry, but just because your brother was that way doesn't mean you're an expert on the subject," I said, moving to shut the door.

"Emma, wait!" he said, keeping the door open with his foot.

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

"Driver's license, remember?"

"Listen, I appreciate that you went to the effort to bring my purse to me, but my son and I really have to be getting out of here and frankly, my life is none of your business," I snapped a little harshly.

I wasn't really angry at Killian specifically. I was just terrified that Neal was going to come back at any moment and Henry and I needed to be gone when that happened. And I didn't believe that anyone could help me except myself.

"How are you going to get anywhere?" Killian asked. "Your car is still in the B&B parking lot. Your boyfriend took you home in his car."

Cold washed over me as I realized he was right. I didn't have the keys to Neal's car. And even if I did, he had a GPS tracker installed in his car so he would be able to track us down. Thoughts were whizzing through my head at a million miles an hour and I was just about ready to collapse in a puddle and give up.

"I can give you a ride to your car if you want?" Killian offered tentatively.

What other options did I have? I really didn't trust this guy, but I definitely trusted him more than Neal. Not all men were like Neal, right?

"Thank you," I said with pursed lips.

I ran upstairs and finished throwing clothes into a suitcase and then scooped up the bag and my son and ran back down the stairs. Killian took the suitcase from me and tossed it in the back of his car. Since I didn't have Henry's car seat, I just sat him in my lap and strapped us both in with a seatbelt and prayed that we didn't get in a car accident.

I was tense for the entire trip to the Bed and Breakfast. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I was out of the car and loading Henry into my own car. Killian transferred the suitcase from one car to the other and then shut the trunk.

"Look, I know we barely know each other but I'm worried about you driving at this time of night," Killian said. "Why don't you spend the night here and then leave in the morning?"

"And risk Neal finding us again?" I snapped. "No thanks."

"I'll stand guard outside your room all night. He won't get to you," Killian promised.

"You think I would trust a perfect stranger?" I asked in disbelief. "I'm not that naïve."

"Have I given you any reason not to trust me?" he asked.

I looked at him for another second or two.

"Mommy, I'm tired. Can we sleep now?" Henry yawned.

I sighed and my shoulders slumped. I was tired of being on guard all of the time. Would one night really hurt? Who knew how long the police were going to detain Neal. His father had quite the influence in this town. He was probably back home by now.

"Okay," I said quietly.

I got Henry back out of the car and followed Killian into the Bed and Breakfast. Killian grabbed a key from the front desk as we passed. This time, the room was on the first floor. He opened the door and handed me the key as I walked past, Henry in tow.

"I'll be right out here if you need anything," Killian said. "Don't forget to lock the door."

I always locked the door. Always.

I settled Henry into bed, slipping off his shoes and singing him a song softly as he yawned and closed his eyes. Unable to sleep myself, I paced the room and even spent several minutes staring out the window into the night. It was just so hard to relax knowing that Neal was out there, probably furious over our disappearance and seeking us out with vengeance.

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore and unlocked the door, slipping out into the hallway. Killian was sitting with his back to the wall. He looked up at me questioningly as I emerged. I think my tense face was enough of an answer for him because he didn't ask any questions.

I settled onto the floor next to him and stretched out my legs in front of me.

"How long have you owned this place?" I asked.

"I inherited it from my father five years ago," Killian replied. "I enjoy running it, though we don't get much of a crowd here. Father's trust is enough to keep it running though."

"Your brother didn't inherit?"

"At the time, he was a drunkard and a wife beater. My father wrote him out of the will."

"My boyfriend's dad doesn't care what he gets up to. In fact, I think he might encourage Neal's need for dominance over women. I was so stupid to ever even go on a date with Neal."

"His type are generally very good about hiding their true nature until you've already been trapped in their web," Killian said. "At least that's what I saw with my brother and his wife."

"He always finds me," I whispered. "No matter where I run. And the last thing I want him to do is hurt Henry. I always try to keep him out of the way when Neal is on one of his rants."

"Have you tried leaving the country?" he asked. "I have some friends who have a small rehabilitation resort in England. I'm sure you could stay with them for however long you needed to get back on your feet again."

"He would still find me."

"There are ways that we can erase any trace of your departure," Killian said. "My father worked for the government and taught me a lot of ways to avoid being followed."

"Our passports are back at the house," I said with a yawn.

I was starting to get tired. Maybe the talking had helped me calm down a bit.

"We'll see how you feel about it tomorrow and then we can find a way to retrieve your passports if you decide to take that road," Killian said.

I nodded and felt myself drifting off. My head sank onto his shoulder and before I could jerk away, my eyes were closed and I was asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I woke with a start and sat immediately upright. Somehow during the course of the night I had ended up with my head in Killian's lap.

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's quite all right," Killian replied, stretching.

"Is Henry still in the room?" I asked.

He nodded and I jumped to my feet. Henry was slowly starting to wake up when I approached the bed. I brushed his hair away from his forehead and enjoyed for a moment how peaceful his face looked. Killian approached me from behind and cleared his throat softly.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" he asked.

I closed my eyes for a long moment and sighed.

"As much as I hate to do it, there's no way to avoid it," I said slowly. "I have to go back to the house."

"But what if Neal's there?"

"I'm hoping that they held him overnight at the station," I said with more confidence than I actually felt. "I'm leaving Henry here with you just in case he is home."

"No. You are definitely not going back if Neal might be there, and especially not alone."

"I need you to watch Henry. I'll be fine, but if Henry gets hurt then I'll never forgive myself."

"Let me go for you," Killian said.

"You wouldn't know where to find everything," I retorted. "And this is not your fight."

"Don't you have any friends or family that could help?"

"Henry is all I have in the world," I said tensely.

"Call the station and ask if Neal is still there," he suggested.

I had to admit, that was a valid suggestion. I pulled my phone from my purse and dialed the number quickly. Luckily, the officer who answered the phone was one who had been there when Neal had been brought in last night.

"We released him last night after taking a statement," the officer said. "But we had a pair of officers follow him and he headed straight for a bar. If I had to take a guess, I would say he's passed out in the street somewhere."

"Thank you for your help," I said.

I said good-bye and hung up. Killian had overheard enough of the conversation to understand what was going on.

"I still don't feel good about this," he said.

"How about this?" I started. "I will call you as soon as I arrive and then as soon as I leave. If too much time passes than you can come swooping to the rescue."

He continued to gaze at me evenly.

"I need those passports to have any chance of getting away from Neal," I pleaded.

"Fine," Killian sighed. "While you're gone, I'll call David and Mary Margaret and let them know that you're coming. And if you don't call within a half hour, I'll assume something's wrong."

"I'll call," I promised.

He took my phone and entered in his number. I handed him a slip of paper with my number on it.

I shouldered my purse and walked out the door. My heart was already pounding by the time I reached my car. If Neal had been drinking last night than he was either passed out somewhere like the officer had said, or he was awake and spitting mad. Being drunk tended to make him a raging lunatic. More so than usual anyway.

My hands were shaking as I pulled out of the driveway and started towards the house. I was praying the entire way that Neal was either not there or too incapacitated to hurt me. There was a little bit of ice out on the roads, accompanying the fresh snow that had fallen overnight. I drove carefully. A car accident was the last thing I needed right now.

Neal's car was still in the driveway when I pulled in. I clutched my keys tightly in one hand as I approached the house. I opened the door slowly, listening for any noise. It was dead silent.

I crept through the entryway, peeking into the living room for any sign of Neal. Seeing no one, I lightly ran up the stairs and headed straight for the safe in the master bedroom. I realized as I was rooting through the papers that I had forgot to call Killian when I arrived. I started hurrying so I could make it out and call him before he started panicking and called the police or something drastic.

I found Henry and I's social security cards and passports and shoved them in my pocket. I whirled around to head out and froze. Neal was standing in the doorway to the room with a gun in his hand.

"Neal, where have you been?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

"What are you doing?" he asked, eying the open safe and papers strewn across the floor.

"Oh, nothing," I lied. "Just making sure we had everything there."

"Planning a trip?"

"What? No."

Neal chuckled.

"You didn't actually think that you could go anywhere did you?" he asked. "Where's Henry?"

"Safe from you," I said softly.

"What lies have you been telling people? Those officers seemed set on my being abusive. Someone had to have said something," Neal said.

He took a few steps forward and I automatically tensed.

"When will you learn?" he asked. "You need to stop telling your lies and stop turning my son against me."

"You do that all on your own," I snapped.

And that's when he exploded. He lunged for me. I grabbed the nearby desk chair with both hands and swung it down on his head. He fell to the floor, dazed. I ran for the door. I was on the top step of the stairs when the gun went off. Then I was tumbling down to the bottom and lying in an ever-widening pool of my own blood. My entire body was numb and my eyes closed against my will.


End file.
